Romano reveals Liverpool want ‘both’ of their top centre-back targets in stunning transfer update

Liverpool are looking to bring in both Marc Guehi and Giovanni Leoni this summer as they target two centre-backs, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Reds have already brought in Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong this summer, as well as two back-up goalkeepers.

Liverpool are likely to bid again for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak too and the club have been heavily linked to a number of centre-backs.

The Reds were already weak in depth at centre-back but they are particularly low on numbers after Jarell Quansah left for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer.

Liverpool have been heavily linked to both Crystal Palace’s Guehi and Parma’s Leoni in the summer transfer window with transfer journalist Ben Jacobs revealing an update on their hunt for a centre-back earlier on Tuesday.

Jacobs wrote on X: ‘Liverpool still expected to sign a centre-back between now and the end of the window. Feeling since May was it would always be a late-window addition.

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‘Richard Hughes has been shortlisting 18-22 profiles, in keeping with the club’s historical targets, including Levi Colwill and Leny Yoro. Former wasn’t attainable so Liverpool never bid, and the latter chose Manchester United last summer.

‘Parma’s 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni a strong target under consideration. If #LFC pivot to Marc Guehi instead, it’s a slight exception to the other age profiles looked at and will be because the Palace defender is a market opportunity too good to turn down.

‘£40m price would need to drop further coupled with Guehi being prepared to join in a World Cup year knowing there is competition for minutes.

‘Palace want to sell Guehi now because he won’t sign a new contract, but the England defender is prepared to see out his contract if the right opportunity doesn’t emerge. He is not agitating for a move away.’

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But now transfer expert Romano insists that Liverpool are ‘working on both deals’ for Guehi and Leoni, and the Reds do not see the pair ‘necessarily as alternative options’.

Romano added on X: ‘Liverpool do not see Giovanni Leoni and Marc Guehi necessarily as alternative options. #LFC working on both deals for weeks as Leoni’s highly rated for future and Guehi seen as big opportunity: Both negotiations are on.’

The news from Romano comes after Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish hinted on Monday that the club could be forced to sell Guehi – who is in the last year of his contract – unless he signed a new deal.

Parish said: “We’d have to do that, of course. For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem for us unfortunately.

“Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham last summer] and we couldn’t afford to lose both.

“We then had another bid [for Guehi] in January but that was a different situation.

“We’ll just have to see what happens. But, you know, it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”